31 minute read
TAKE 5
SIX WHEELS
Sometimes four wheels isn’t enough to get you or you gear to where you need to be. The affair that off-road enthusiasts have had with six wheeled vehicles isn’t something that just started when Can-Am released their new Defender 6x6. Fifty-five years ago Ontario Drive & Gear launched a fully amphibious off-road capable vehicle called an ARGO. In the last fifty-five years there have been numerous attempts at creating the best six wheeled vehicle. We take a look at five of the best.
MAX ATV
First launched in 1969 MAX ATV’s and re-established again in 2002, Max ATV’s are in the amphibious capable world of off-road. They are not the largest vehicle in this class, however their nimble size makes it easy to navigate through treacherous terrain. The three model line-up or is not as deep as other manufacturers in this field however the MAX vehicles are extremely capable and can venture into swamps, water…basically anything.
POLARIS SPORTSMAN 6X6 BIG BOSS 570 EPS
Just the name “Big Boss” screams power. You can’t help but feel like a real Boss when doing work around the property with this Sportsman. Featuring a 1,500 pound towing capacity and a 800 pound rated gas assist dump box, chores just got a lot more fun. Having a width of only 48 inches and an overall length of 116 inches, allows you to still go where traditional ATVs go but you do have to watch the larger turning radius.
JOHN DEER GATOR TH 6X4 GAS OR DIESEL
Originally, the six wheeled Gator started out as a five wheeled beast that resembled a motorized rickshaw and thankfully this Gator morphed into a sturdier vehicle. The TH Gator 6x4 will isn’t the biggest or most powerful six wheeled off-road vehicle. But it is a well proven work horse. You will see the vehicle used by more grounds keepers especially at golf courses and stadiums hauling supplies around and injured linebackers of the field more than any other off-road vehicle. The saying says it all “Nothing runs like a Deere”.
CAN-AM DEFENDER
Can-Am launched the six wheel Defender line-up as a big off-road work horse. When it comes to six wheels of off-road, Can-AM didn’t just spike the ball they also kicked a field goal and sacked the quarter back on the following play. This Vehicle was made for work use and hunting but designed for fun. With a towing capacity of 3,000 pounds and a 4.5x6 foot box, powered by a 976 Rotor liquid V-Twin that pushes out 82 horsepower it can do any job imaginable. For 2022 there are three different six wheeled Defenders to choose from.
ARGO
The grand daddy of all 6x6 off-road vehicles, Ontario Drive & Gear launched their go everywhere vehicle back in 1967. When the first ARGO hit showroom floors it featured a 24 horsepower 2-stroke Kohler engine that would help propel the vehicle through the woods, swamps, water and snow. It’s hard to believe that in the beginning many referred to it as a “swamp buggy” or even a bathtub with wheels. ARGO have evolved many times with engines, sizes, accessories, etc. but a three key things haven’t. A sealed amphibious body, and engine powered transmission which is behind the skid-steer steering. After 55 years, the ARGO is be far your best choice of weapon to get through so many different types of terrain. In 2022 ARGO now offers twenty-six different models making it the most complete amphibious line-up on the market today.
HWY 48, Pefferlaw, Lake Simcoe 705-437-1122 • quinnsmarina.com
JUST 50 MINS NORTH OF TORONTO
Monster Jam here we come, and ridiculous oversized ATV lovers, get ready because a good one is back again for 2022! Polaris is known to always find a way to set the bar higher and think outside the box with new ideas, and in model year 2021, they delivered again when they launched the S-Model Scrambler and Sportsman lineup. These machines have a staggering 55” wide stance, and have uprooted everything we previously thought defined an ATV. After a long winter season of other distractions, we are finally getting back to some of our favorite summertime passions. It didn’t take too long for mine and other people’s excitement surrounding this machine to return. Reflecting on its launch in 2021 and the fun that we had riding it, really got my testosterone pumping… it’s possible my computer got pregnant while writing this! BY JASON KAWCZYNSKI
The New Limited
ot a whole lot has changed in its return in 2022, but why should it have? This machine is still holding the crown of the “King of the Crossover ATV’s” in our opinion. Polaris has added the “Limited Edition” on the 2022 Scrambler too, and they mean Limited this time! These N machines have been long sold out by the time you are reading this. So, if you want to join the exclusive club of owning a monster sized ATV, start saving your pennies for the 2023 pre-orders because we don’t expect to see many of these in dealer’s showrooms this summer. For 2022, your option again is only in one color choice, but she definitely got an upgrade in the good looks department over last year’s rather boring black/red! It now features the popular color combination of Radar Blue with Chartreuse accents. The new suit really turns heads on any Polaris machine they offer it on across their entire powersports spectrum, and certainly no different here on the Scrambler.
TALL, FAST, BURLY, AND CAPABLE DESCRIBES THE NEW SCRAMBLER
HWY 11
HOLLAND LANDING
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PERFORMANCE
BATHURSTATH CENTRE
Warning: Polaris off-road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check locallaws before riding on trails. © 2022 Polaris Industries Inc.
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KEEPING YOU RIDING
HWY 11
HOLLAND LANDING
PERFORMANCE
BATHURSTATH CENTRE
Warning: Polaris off-road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check locallaws before riding on trails. © 2022 Polaris Industries Inc.
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Spec the tech!
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the magnitude of how big and capable this machine is, the 55-inch-wide stance is by comparison 7-inches wider than a standard trail width ATV. Its massive 14.5-inch ground clearance dwarfs the 11.5 on the standard, but still very capable, Scrambler 850. Lastly, add a 57.4-inch-long wheelbase, adding over 4-inches from the standard scrambler, and almost 7-inches longer than some competitive ATV’s (like the Can-Am Renegade). Being this large, Polaris was able to use some existing components from the RZR XP lineup such as front differential and half shafts, so they are certainly building it with abuse in mind! All this stretching does come at a cost, being quite a bit of added weight. Polaris claims the dry weight at 881lbs., but reports of real-world weights over 950lbs. with all needed fluids and a full tank of fuel seem to be pretty accurate.
Under the hood, the Scrambler is still powered by the veteran and very proven 952cc ProStar twin that makes around 89HP. The power is disbursed via four identical sized 27 x 9-inch Duro Powergrip II Tires on 12-inch aluminum wheels, which gives you the option to rotate the tires from front to back and extend the life of your tire set. Two power modes are available and easily controlled via the dash controls. Standard mode is more for cruising, with easy-to-handle moderate acceleration. For those days when you are feeling reckless and power hungry, switch it over to “Performance” mode for maximum acceleration, where you can spin all four tires on demand.
Electric Power Steering is standard of course, and it is a necessity when you are wrestling with a large machine like this at slower speeds, but the Multi Select EPS takes it a step further. For those riders that prefer more of a classic responsive feel to a manual steer machine, this is a perfect compromise. You can select from three different modes; Low, Medium and High. The differences between modes are relatively subtle, and we found that for our riding style, Low or Medium is just about right for most situations. But if you are setting out on a very slow and technical trail, clicking it up to high will take the last little bit of effort
THE TOP SPORT/UTILITY QUAD ON THE MARKET IS ARGUABLY THE SCRAMBLER XP 1000 S LIMITED WITH THE 55-INCH STANCE, WALKER EVANS SHOCKS, 14.5-INCHES OF CLEARANCE AND A PRICE TAG TO MATCH!
FROM THE GAUGE YOU CAN EASILY SELECT THE LEVEL OF POWER STEERING ASSIST YOU WANT WITH MULTI-SELECT EPS.
A FACTORY 11-INCH PRO ARMOR LIGHTBAR LIGHTS UP THE NIGHT AND AN ADJUSTABLE 3-INCH RISER GIVES COMFORT TO SMALL OR LARGE RIDERS.
out of navigating through those bottomless mud spots.
Riding on top of a set of four Walker Evans remote reservoir three-way adjustable shocks, it delivers 12.5-inches of up front and 14-inches of rear, bump destroying travel. These come with tons of adjustability with tool-less quick-change compression knobs up top - giving separate high and low adjustability, and rebound adjustment on the bottom of the shock. All are changed easily with a screwdriver. Dual rate springs give even further adjustability where you can modify the crossover point between springs easily with the supplied tool. Overall, the standard factory settings do seem rather stiff in comparison to some other Polaris models. However, out of the box, riding the factory setup offers very little body roll and adds to its superior stability in all different conditions.
If you like to stay clean when riding, I wouldn’t suggest this ATV for you. The extra width mounted on the standard plastics designed for 48” width really throw the mud around back at you. Polaris did design this with a smaller fender addition which does catch a lot of debris, but it certainly could be bigger.
Be Legal When Riding
One thing to note about this oversized machine is to be sure to check your local riding area regulations for maximum width allowances. Many trails across north America are segmented by width, and the vast majority of standard ATV’s are a maximum width of 48-50-inches, so this would not come close to qualifying. These trails are so common, it was one of the defining factors for Polaris to develop the RZR trail UTV which sits at only 50-inches wide, almost a half-foot narrower than this Scrambler.
Included Accessories Galore!
Night riders get a Pro Armor 11-inch LED light bar which is a much-appreciated standard option for an abundance of clear white light when needed. The primary headlights are still antiquated halogen bulbs that really need a boost!
The standard adjustable 3-inch handlebar riser makes for a perfect transition from sitting to stand up riding for those average height riders. The standard hand guards are a welcome addition when gloves alone are not enough to protect your knuckles while following your buddy a bit too close!
One neat feature that Polaris added was the security lock. This is an optional enabled feature that allows you to create a PIN (Passcode) that will prevent the engine from turning over. Sure, you can always take the key out at pit stops and accomplish the same, but in my house, where I have two young kids that are always trying to sneak a ride on dad’s ATV, it certainly is a welcome feature for us keeping them where they belong on their Sportsman 110cc wheelers.
With an MSRP $17,799 USD / $20,999 CAD, this isn’t priced as an ATV that the average consumer would purchase to just use on a few hunting trips or plowing the driveway. Buyers are more tailored to be all-in as this to be their primary summer vehicle. Nothing is cheap anymore these days by anyone’s standards, but what you get in comparison still does deliver a lot of value.
BY MARK BONCHER GO BIG! THEN GO BIGGER! ack in high school, I thought my grandfather’s Gator was the best utility vehicle ever imagined. We cut and hauled enough cords of wood to make Paul Bunyan jealous. Scroll forward many decades and a new 6x6 rules the roost when it comes to pulling, towing, gripping, and power. That would be the new Can-Am Defender six wheeled Limited… this thing is a beast! You will not find another machine that can do what this can when it comes to B comfort and utility.
The guts
There are plenty of amenities on this “Limited” machine, but we’ll start with the basics that make this side-by-side the ultimate ranch hand. Power comes from a Rotax HD10 V-twin, liquid cooled engine pumping out 82 ponies and 69-ft.lbs. of trailer pulling torque and 3,000 pounds of towing capacity. Hook up that pontoon boat from the back of the barn to the 2-inch ball/ receiver, and take it straight up a mountain if you want! But you will do it with ease and smoothly with an intelligent throttle control, fuel injection, CVT transmission with QRS secondary, and additional airflow to keep that belt on the CVT nice and cool. You’ll have confidence in the power of this machine, whether in low; high; reverse; 4-wheel drive, or 6-wheel drive.
At over 2,300 pounds dry, this one isn’t something you’re going to be ‘sending’, but that’s not what this burly brute is made for. With a Visco-Lok automatic locking front differential, it is meant to get all the wheels working for you easily when you need it. Plus, you’ll have electronic hill descent control, (yes, just like your $100k fancy new truck) but also 3 different driving modes including ECO, (most fuel efficient) ECO off, (little less efficient) and Work (meant for the toughest situations and least fuel efficient). If that wasn’t enough, you will be able to turn the wheel with one finger, due to the fact this has Dynamic Power Steering as well.
If you do get in a little trouble, or need to pull an entire oak tree around, which many
of us think we do or will have to at some point, you can do that with the 4,500-pound winch on the front XT Bumper. And when you need to stop abruptly for that moose on the trail, there’s 220mm hydraulic disc brakes with twin piston calipers that will quickly do the job. The power gets put to the dirt via 14-inch cast aluminum wheel with Maxxis Bighorn 27 x 9 x 14-inch front tires and 27 x 11 x 14 rear shoes.
The cargo box on this mo-chine holds up to 1,000 lbs., and the bed has power tilt on it, so you won’t need as much icy-hot after a day of work… and the work will go faster! The tailgate holds up to 250 lbs. too, so your kids won’t break it when they run and jump out of the back-end (true story). The box is a full 72 inches long and 54.5 inches wide, so there’s a lot of space here, and with 13 inches of clearance, you won’t get hung up on those sneaky stumps and sniper rocks.
Speaking of obstacles, the arched double A-arm suspension up front comes with twin tube gas shocks and a sway arm to keep things on the level. The rear suspension is an arched TTA with similar gas shocks and it has an external sway bar. It is honestly not the ‘total off-road Baja race-edition’ shock package, but it more than gets the job done. There’s a full skid plate too, in case you do mow over something unexpected.
The amenities
There’s a lot of them, and there better be for the mid-30-40k price tag (US/CA). The only real downfall is the blah blue color scheme, but it works with the blacked-out rims. With a full roll cage, windshield, full doors/windows, and a 3-person bench, this is meant as an all-weather rider. The seats flip up and the driver has an adjustable seat too. No more excuses to put work off due to the weather when you have this Defender in the toolbox.
All weather means hot or cold as well, so there’s an auto heating and air conditioning climate control system too! The front windshield tilts and has wipers on it, and there’s a big panoramic rear-view mirror. Put your side windows up and down with the touch of a button as they are electric. Vision at night is great as well with LED lighting all around.
You can watch all this side-by-side’s vitals from the nice 7.6-inch digital gauge, and use the keypad to check speed; odometer; trip and hour meter; fuel; gear; driving modes; 4x4 and 6x6; differential lock; engine temperatures; voltage, and probably stream the newest episode of Yellowstone. The hard roof with liner is perfect for use in all four seasons too, and it also has a dome light, but getting those liners clean isn’t always fun. But you can easily get in and out with a tilting steering wheel. Quite literally, the interior is twice as nice as my first Ford truck!
Thankfully, BRP outfits this cowboy Cadillac with a 1-year warranty, with a 30-month extended warranty available… for a price of course. ALL WEATHER MEANS HOT OR COLD AS WELL, SO THERE’S AN AUTO HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM TOO! THE FRONT WINDSHIELD TILTS AND HAS WIPERS ON IT, AND THERE’S A BIG PANORAMIC REAR-VIEW MIRROR.
iTC Throttle
If you are not aware of this system from BRP, versions of it are used across many of their vehicles. From dirt to snow to water. It is a throttle by wire system instead of a cable system. Sensors and servos do the job here, and up until recently, there was a MUCH different feel than a cable system. Just one of the things BRP does to differentiate themselves on the technology front.
IN
this series of articles, we are going to try and help you understand the basics of how the suspension system works on your ATV or Side x Side. We will also touch on maintenance, and then delve into tuning and other options for improvements.
This Polaris Ranger has been modified for winter duty with track kits, an enclosed cab with heater for 4 season versatility.
he modern off-road vehicle is a complex assembly of parts, but is fairly simple when broken down. They are basically comprised of a few key sub-systems that are bolted to the main frame, each tasked with doing a different job. The engine of course is perhaps T the most celebrated, as it is responsible for forward and reverse motion, and can be selected for high torque if the quad is utility based and expected to carry or pull high loads at lower speeds. It can also be biased towards high horsepower for strong acceleration and high speed. A strong manufacturer will have a range of engines to fit different markets and different specific vehicles in their line-up. Other typical subsystems for example are the brakes; starting with the foot pedal engaging the master cylinder, pushing fluid down the lines out to the wheels, on out to the calipers, squeezing the rotors. Again, options will best match application based on vehicle cost and expected use of the machine. But we really are here to look at the suspension sub-system, its variations and more importantly, its functions and duties. However, decisions get made at the manufacturing level as to the quality and the quantity of suspension travel installed on each quad, to best fit the application at the lowest possible cost. This reality, knowing that on most models, suspension quality gets compromised when trying to keep the cost in check, allows for a lot of room for improvement.
For plowing duty, Elka shocks were selected to improve damping and stronger springs selected for the extra weight of the cab and plow. This shock apart, shows the damper used to control motion, separated from the spring which holds up the weight. Two separated but integrated functions.
Final preload adjust to set rider sag needs accurate rider weights. Matt’s weight was.. ahem…‘adjusted’ to match the customers as close as possible.
If we were to ask a room full of enthusiasts what the duty of the suspension is, I’m sure the first one to put their hand up would yell, “For the bumps!”
This answer would cause half the remaining hands to drop. The remaining answers get a little trickier.
“Comfort” is another good one. “Control” is related to the first answer, but more specific. “Ground clearance!” the guy in the Camo cap would grunt. “Traction” the lady in the front row would quip, “and safety” she adds thoughtfully, basically completing a very good list of what we expect our suspension to do for us as we ride down the trail.
How the suspension system is actually doing its job, is pretty simple really in its execution. Bolted to the main frame are a pair of A arms at each corner of the vehicle, aptly named for the capital ‘A’ shape when viewed from above. The reason there are two arms is so that the wheel can be kept perpendicular as it travels from full extension to full bottom of the suspension cycle, while holding onto the spindle, bearing and brake assembly. The length of the ‘A’ arms is considered when deciding how wide the vehicle is going to be and how much suspension travel it needs to have. There are advantages and disadvantages everywhere, so compromises get struck. A wider vehicle will have longer A arms and usually more suspension travel. It will be much more stable and able to carry more passengers in greater comfort. However, wider vehicles fit on fewer and fewer trails, they cost more, and become difficult and expensive to trailer to places. A narrower UTV will cost less and have handling advantages in the woods as it can go down tighter trails, but in the end, it will have shorter A arms, less stability, less cargo capability and ultimately, less maximum suspension travel. The options are there, so think carefully
Improper spring selection yields a tender (top) spring that doesn’t engage a crossover system or even coil bind to firm up its end rate. Compressing the shock assembly to bottom permits replication of its operation in the field. The shock may look ok, but a proper rate tester will disprove poorly engineered purchases. This customer bought tender springs and crossovers that didn’t fit properly or change rate. They almost wore through the bodies.
Proper springs and proper preload may just achieve the 2” lift you are looking for…
and research if you are purchasing. Out at the end of the A arms is the spindle and brake assembly with the wheel bearing, and finally, the tire. Roughly halfway down that A arm, we find our suspension unit, the star of our story, usually called ‘the shock’. The bottom will generally be bolted to the lower A arm, and the top will be bolted to the main frame of our ATV/UTV. Since the shock absorber is mounted approximately halfway down the A arm, we can expect that there is roughly a 2:1 ratio between wheel motion and shock motion. So, if the wheel has 12” of suspension ‘travel’, the shock will generally have 6” of stroke. This simple math allows us to keep the length of the shocks reasonable to get the job done.
The term ‘shock’ is loosely broken down into the damper inside, surrounded by the spring on the outside. This is where the term ‘coil over’ comes from, when the spring surrounds the damper, keeping the functions of motion and support together in one tidy package. The inner damper looks after controlling the up and down motion of the vehicle, and the spring or springs surrounding the shock support the weight of the vehicle, gear and occupants. Now, to divide it out, the four shocks will each have springs designed to roughly hold up 1/4 of the weight of the vehicle. Engine and passenger placement as well as the exact motion ratio of the shock to wheel will dictate the spring rate and preload selected. For example, if the engine is in the rear of the machine and there is a trunk or box above, we can expect the rear springs to be stronger than the front springs. Also, if exhaust and air intake plumbing require the shocks to be mounted closer to the centre of the vehicle, that will change the motion ratio of that corner and increase the required spring rate as well. But, why complicate things with expensive shocks? What if we just used springs and no inner dampers? Well, the machine would bounce uncontrollably after every bump or pothole like an old trailer. Friction in the bushings, collars, axles and bearings would eventually stop the motion, unless you had the nerve to hit another bump or even think of touching the throttle or brakes, and then the oscillations would continue endlessly until you finally stopped your quad to vomit from sea sickness. Dampers are there to calm this unwanted ‘post bump’ motion and greatly enhance rider control, enjoyment and safety. Dividing up the directions of the damper is simply up and down, or more clearly, Compression (wheel coming up) and Rebound (wheel going back down). Very early automotive dampers used simple mechanical friction to ‘wear out’ this motion and bring oscillations to a stop, but they needed constant adjustment and generated excessive heat when bump SO, DO WE REALLY NEED TO SERVICE OUR SHOCKS AND WHY? WELL, LIKE YOUR ENGINE, THERE IS A RELATIVELY SMALL AMOUNT OF OIL LOOKING AFTER A PRETTY IMPORTANT TASK INSIDE THOSE DAMPERS.
This heavily modified Mule with a steel cab and front and back racks is going on the scales. Our Intercomp scales revealed that the surprising 2886-pound weight will need much heavier springs. New shocks were ordered with appropriate springs.
Stock shocks on right. Not serviceable, limited preload range, no damping adjustability, no easy spring rate options.
Aftermarket shocks on left. Serviceable, re-valveable, infinitely threaded preload, multiple damping adjustment options, multiple spring rate options both straight rate and dual or triple rate available.
Shocks apart for service, cleaning and a re-valve. Monster shocks from this Can-Am coming out for service and a spring upgrade.
The bump rubber protects the shock from hitting metal to metal when it bottoms. They fatigue and fail over time, so inspect carefully. frequency was high on rough roads. This brought on the advent of oil filled dampers, which were tidy, didn’t rust, didn’t freeze and on later designs could be adjusted for different road or trail conditions. The modern oil filled damper, if so designed, can resist motion in both compression and rebound directions, and can do so for thousands and thousands of trouble-free cycles, without any love or service.
To look inside, the most basic shock will have an upper oil cylinder with an eye mounted on one end, bolted to a fixed location on our chassis or frame, and a damper rod sticking out of the lower end, that we bolt to our lower A arm on the moving portion of the suspension. The damper rod is attached to a piston, sealed up inside the oil filled cylinder. This piston is forced up and down inside the cylinder as we ride, causing oil to flow back and forth through the piston. Resistance to this motion is tuned by small holes in the piston, and flexible shims covering those holes, separately selected for the compression and rebound sides of the piston. Shims on the bottom side of the piston get deflected when the piston is being driven up (compression) and shims on the top of the piston become involved when the piston is driven back out by the spring in the rebound direction. Again, keeping it VERY simple, adjustable shocks have adjusters (or clickers) that can increase or decrease the percentage of oil forced through that piston, or allowed to bypass around it. By adjusting the clicker(s), we can increase or decrease the resistance to motion in one or both directions, depending on the specifications of that particular damper.
So, do we really need to service our shocks and why? Well, like your engine, there is a relatively small amount of oil looking after a pretty important task inside those dampers. The suspension fluid permits relatively low friction motion between parts, as oil is a natural lubricant, and it helps keep things cool as it moves the heat around. However, these economically machined parts break-in from new, (just like your engine) with pistons wearing off high spots inside their cylinders, and slowly rubbing themselves the clearance that they want and need. This rubbing generates small metal contamination particulate as the parts scrape by each other. In your engine, this contamination is carried away by the engine oil, and removed during the first post break-in oil change, with the bigger hunks captured by the oil filter which is discarded at the same time. Your poor shocks however, aren’t that lucky. The break-in metal filings in your shocks just sink down and collect around the seal and bushing in the bottom of the shock, making motion sticky and leading to poor bump compliance. More contamination will start to jam the valve shims open, reducing damping, and then, metal bits will settle into the bushings where they will start to scratch the hardened shaft which leads to scoring. Finally, when the seals have had
enough and can’t ‘follow’ the shaft due to the debris inside, the shocks either begin to slowly leak, or catastrophically fail and leave a puddle of oil on the floor of your shop or trailer if you are lucky, or just puke out on the trail, leaving you a bouncing mess if you aren’t so lucky. This lack of preventative maintenance perplexes me. Do you wait until your engine oil is so bad, or the oil level is so low that is seizes a piston and then breaks a connecting rod before you give it an oil change? Of course not, you do the right thing and change your oil after break-in, and then routinely after that! Every week, we have a customer that comes to the shop with ONE shock from a 3–7-year-old UTV and asks me why this one shock failed, annoyed at the inconvenience. After I educate them a bit, I ask them about the other three shocks and they reply that no, they are just fine. I often wonder about that logic. The shock oil is usually disgusting and full of metal bits in about 600 km from new. All four shocks have the same mileage on them AND the machine is currently up on blocks anyway... It’s like driving four tires until they are bald and one finally pops, then going to the dealer and just getting ONE new one. I don’t get it...
Shock oil deteriorates slowly, say 1-2% every ride, so the loss of control and bump compliance is hardly noticeable day to day, but when the shocks are serviced, wow, the return to ‘better than new’ performance is often startling. The other issue with damper degradation that we notice every year is with regard to the slow loss of nitrogen charge pressure. A high-pressure gas shock uses nitrogen pressure to squeeze the oil as the shock cycles, keeping the oil and piston under compression. Without this ‘squeeze’ the oil would shear or cavitate at high velocities as the piston whips back and forth through the fluid. As the shock slowly loses nitrogen pressure over time, the cavitation threshold is eclipsed and the shock starts to create foam, which has zero damping resistance. Yet another option for damper fail is that we see them lose around 10-30 psi a season, depending on the design.
In next month’s article, we will go over spring rate and preload, damper options and adjusting, so stay tuned. In the meantime, take the tires and shocks off of your quad, disconnect the sway bar, and cycle the A arms to check for sloppy bushings and loose parts. While the poor shocks are out,
This entry level aluminum body KYB shock is serviceable, evidenced by this N2 fill port. It has basic preload adjust, but no damping adjusters.
Low quality modifications and a poor cleaning regime can cause accelerated wear.
Another clue to a shock being a ‘throw away’ unit, is the visual evidence of the seal head assembly welded, or in this case crimped in place.
why not send them off to a reputable suspension shop and get them back to ‘better than new’ for the long, fun season ahead! Till next time, keep it between the trees.
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